ST. GEORGE — A woman accused of running over a man with her car following an argument in Washington City was arrested Tuesday and is currently being held without bail.
The suspect, 25-year-old Yesenia Rosa Montoya, was booked into jail facing multiple charges, including second-degree aggravated assault and a third-degree felony offense for failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving serious injury.
A misdemeanor charge of reckless driving is also among the charges listed in the probable cause statement that was filed in support the arrest.
The arrest stems from an incident reported shortly before 9:30 p.m. on July 18, when officers were dispatched to the 400 block of East Pennees Place for what was initially reported as an unknown injury.
Officers arrived to find a man covered in blood. They quickly determined he had sustained substantial bodily injury based on the number of wounds and the amount of blood that was found at the scene.
The man told officers he was struck by a vehicle that had already fled the scene before being transported by ambulance to St. George Regional Hospital in serious condition.
Washington City Police Lt. Kory Klotz told St. George News the man experienced some very serious injuries, including a concussion, but was conscious and spoke to responding officers.
With the man en route to the hospital, investigators went to his residence, where they found a car that had a broken windshield, bumper and side mirror, and inside of the car they could see broken glass that appeared to have come from the windshield.
The vehicle involved had major damage consistent with someone being struck by a car, the lieutenant said, adding that this was not the first time officers have been called to the residence on some type of disturbance.
At the residence, officers spoke to a woman, later identified as Montoya, who officers noted had fresh cuts on her knuckles, and they also noticed that inside of the home there was blood on the window and on the front door.
The suspect told police “she did not want to talk about the incident,” which is when officers located an individual that witnessed the incident.
The witness told officers that earlier that same night, they ran outside when they heard the screech of car tires, which is when the witness said they heard the sound of the victim yelling after he was struck by the vehicle, and they ran to help the injured man.
Officers also learned that earlier that same evening, Montoya and the victim were heard arguing, and after the incident, they noticed Montoya’s vehicle in the driveway.
As investigators were processing the suspect’s vehicle, they noticed that the driver’s seat was pushed up very close to the steering wheel, which led them to speculate it was Montoya, who was under five feet tall, who was the one driving the car at the time.
They also found Montoya’s photo ID card in the center console, according to the report, as well as the car keys that were found nearby.
The suspect was also found with fresh cuts that she said was from glass, and investigators noted there was glass scattered “all over the interior of the car from the accident.”
Once the vehicle was towed to the Washington City Police Department for further analysis, detectives completed a lethality assessment form used to determine the likelihood of serious injuries or death and to identify those at the highest risk of being seriously or injured or killed by their partner.
The analysis revealed that the incident was potentially lethal and the suspect was then transported to the police department in Washington City for an interview.
Montoyta appeared to be upset and officers also noticed she had blood on the sleeve of her shirt, as well as abrasions on her left elbow, in addition to the injuries on her knuckles.
Officers learned that earlier that same day, the two had been drinking alcohol and then they started arguing, which is when the victim left the house. She went on to say that she had stayed inside of the residence, but when pressed further, the report states, the suspect reportedly told detectives that she had been the one responsible for hitting the victim with her car – an act which “she expressed regret” over but would not expound any further, telling officers to “just take her to jail.”
The suspect also told officers that she had gone out to check on the victim, who “told her to run,” she said, which is when she went home and said she “then hugged her children knowing that she would likely be going to jail for her actions.”
As to her injuries, the suspect said the abrasions on her knuckles were from breaking a glass earlier, and then she declined to answer any further questions and was transported and booked into jail.
At the time of Tuesday’s incident, Montoya was on probation on an aggravated burglary case filed in January.
In that case, officers responded to a burglary reported at a residence in St. George where three suspects, including Montoya, went to he apartment unannounced and once inside, Montoya and another suspect fought with the tenant, and it was Montoya who reportedly punched the victim in the face twice.
Officers caught up with Montoya in an area near Wagon Wheel Dr. in Washington City, who reportedly told officers she did go over to the apartment in question to confront the resident about an earlier assault on one of the suspect’s family members. She remained in jail until her release in March, following the sentencing hearing and she was placed on three years’ probation and given credit for time served.
Following the arrest on Tuesday, the officer requested that Montoya be held without bail, at least until the processing of the vehicle was completed and an update on the extent of the man’s injuries was available.
The request was granted by District Judge G. Michael Westfall and the suspect remain in custody without bail. The case has been turned over to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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